Planograph co



E. A. HANDAND F. A. WYGANT. FEED MECHANISM FOR sucms MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28. I918.

Patented July 22, 1919.

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E. A. HAND AND F. A. WYGANT. FEED MECHANISM FORTSLICING MACHINES.APPLICATION FILED AUQ.28. 1918.

'1 ,3 1 0,752. Patented Jilly 2,2; 1919.

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ERNEST A. HAND ANnFnnnnnIoK A. WY GANT, or HORNELL, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORSTO THE A. J DEER COMPANY, INCORPORATED, or HonNnLL, NEW YORK, A CORPO-VRATION or NEW YORK.

' vented new and useful Improvementsin Feed Mechanism forSlicing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a feed mechanism for slicing machines wherebythe article to be sliced is gradually fed toward the cutting positionsothat successive slices may be cut therefrom by a blade or knife and moreparticularly to a feed mechanism for this purpose in which the articlesup porting slide or feed plate is movedjperpendicular to the cuttingposition by means of a rotary feed screw shaft and a screw nut adaptedto be engaged with and disengaged from the screw shaft. I

It Jisoneof the objects ofthis invention to provide improved means forshifting the screw nut into and out of its operative position relativeto the screw shaft, these means being so organizedthat one action 'ofthe hand will operate not only to release the screw nut from the screwshaft but'also draw the article-supporting slide or plate backwardly. aV j Another object of this invention is to so. organize this screw nutactuating mechanism that thesame may be locked and permit the articlesupporting plate to be moved freely forwardly andbackwardly independ-.ently of the feed screw.

A further object ofthis invention is to provide simple andeflicient'spring means which yieldingly hold the-screw nut yieldingly inengagement with the screw shaft and thereby automatically take up anyslack which may develop between these parts due to wear. .7 d y In theaccompanying drawings: Figure l isa sectional top plan view of the feedmechanism and adjacent parts of a slicing machine embodying ourimprovements. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section thereof,t aken on line2+2, Fig. l. T Fig. '3 is'a bottom plan view offthefeed-plate or'slidewhich carries thearticle to be sliced'and wlnch is provided withourimprovedfeed screw nut operating mechanis'm.f.Fig.14 is a fragmentarysijde,

'" elevation of=the'san1e viewedfrom a position Specification of LettersPatent. Application filed August as, 1918.

FEED MECHANISM FOR SLICING-MACHIN ES.

Patented July 22, 1919.

7 Serial No. 251,744.

indicated by the arrow tin Fig. 3. Fig. 5 1s a fragmentary verticallongitudinal section taken on the correspondingly numbered line in. Fig..3.

Similar-charactersof reference refer to like parts throughout theseveral views.

1 represents the cutter, knife or blade of the slicing machine which maybe of any suitable construction, and 2 the supporting carriage or tablewhich reciprocates in a direction parallelwith the cutting blade for thepurpose of carrying the article to be sliced past the cutteim On thisreciprocating table is mountedan article supporting feed 7 plate orslide 3 which is guided on this table so as to be capable of slidinglengthwise thereonin a direction perpendicular to the plane of thiscutter, so that upon progressively advancing this plate toward thecutting line, successive slices may be cut from the front end of thearticle. Our improved feed mechanisniwhereby this feed plate is movedperpendicular tothe cutter, is constructed as follows:

4 represents a feed screw shaft arranged horizontally and lengthwiseadjacent to the rear longitudinal edge of the feed plate and journaledat its opposite ends in bearings 55, 6 arranged on the adjacent side ofthe'carriage or table, so that this screw shaft is free to turn but isincapable of lengthwise motion. l 7 represents a screw nut which isprovided witha sectional screw; thread 8 on its outer or rear side andwhich is so mounted that the same is compelled to move.

with the feed plate in" a direction lengthwise of the screw'shaft but iscapable of moving in a direction at right angles to the axis of thisshaft for the purposejof engaging and disengaging its screw threadsection with the thread of the screw shaft and thereby either couplingthe feed plate with this shaft or uncoupling the same therefrom. Forthis purpose this screw nut is provided on its inner side withaguide-block 9 which is movable. crosswise .in aftransverse slot 10formed in the rear longitudinal edge of the feed plate. This feedv screwnut is yieldingly held in enga ement with the thread of the screw shaftyr spring means which preferably comprise two springs 11, 11, arrangedintheslotlO and each bearing at one end against the inner end of thescrew nut block while its oppositeend bears against the inner end of theslot 10 in the feed plate. I v

The top of this block is preferably covered in all positions of thefeednut by means of a'cover plate'1'2 extending over this lot'and secured tothe upper side of the feed nut block by means of screws 13 as shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 5,01' by any other suitable means.

14 represents a shifting bar which is arranged transversely underneaththe rear part of the feed plate and guided in ways 15, 16 thereon, so asto be capable of a reciprocating motion in a direction trans; versely ofthe sliding movement'of the-feed plate on the table. At that end of thisshifting bar next to the feed screw the same is secured to the undersideof the feed nut block inner part 18 arranged between the under side of'the feedplate andthe top of the shifting bar andpivotall'y connected atits inner end with the shifting bar by a pin 19- so as to be capable ofswinging in a horizontal'plane The intermediate part 20 "of this hand"lever is turned rearwardly relatively to the axis thereof and isprovided with'an upright longitudinal fulcrum-face 21 which is adaptedto engage slidingly with a bearing face 22-onthe acent rear part of thefeed plate so that upon swinging the outeror free end of this operatingleverbackwardly, the same willturn by means of its sliding fulcrum face21 on the bearing face 22 of the feed plate and thereby cause theshiftin'g bar to be moved for disengaging the feed" nut from the feedscrew. Upon releasing the hand pressure on this operating le'ver 'thesprings 11, 11 will again move the shifting bar in the {oppositedirection for engaging the feed nut with the feed screw and return theoperating lever lnto its normal or inoperative position. It is thereforepossible upon drawing the hand leverbacka wardly ,to simultaneouslyreleasethe feed nut from the feed screw and then move the feed platebackward ly independently of the feed. screw when it is desired to movethe feed plate backwardly quickly to its initial positionpreparatory tobeginning the slicing ofa new piece of meat or other article. Adjacentto the inner endof the fulcrum face of the hand lever the same isprovided with a locking shoulder 23 which upon turning this lever intoits rearmost position may be engaged with a locking shoulder 24: formedon the rear side of the feed plate adjacent; to the rear end of itsbearing face '22, as shown in Fig. 3, and thereby hold the feed nut inits retracted position out of engagement from the feed screw.

By thus enabling the hand 'leverto be locked in its rearmost position inwhichthe feed nut is held out of engagement with'the feed screw, it is.possible .to move the feed plate and the article to be sliced freelyforwardly or backwardly independently of the feed screw and to employboth hands without paying any attention to the feed mechanism of thisplate thereby-enabling the ma chine to be adjusted quickly and theslicing operation to be effected expeditiously. V

In order to prevent the hand lever from being displaced in the eventthat the operator exerts a downward pressure against the same, aretaining lug 26 is provided which projects from the upper side of theouter part 25 0f this lever inwardly over the top of the feed plate, asshown in Figs. 1, 3,4 and 5, thereby holding this lever against downwardmovement and retaining these parts against vertical displacementrelatively to each other.

This feed mechanism is very simple and inexpensive in construction, thesame has no delicate parts which are liable to get out. of-

order and it permits of readily shiftingthe feed'plate intothe desiredposition relatively to the cutterfand to quickly return the feed plateto its initial position preparatoryto cutting an article. it V eclaim asour invention;

1. A slicing machine comprising a table, an article carrier sli-dable"on said table, a feedscrew shaft mounted on said table and capable ofturning but held against lengthwise motion, a screw feednut mounted on Ksaid slide and movable into and out of engagement with said screw shaft,and means for operating said "screw nut. comprising a shifting barguided transversely 'on said slide and carrying said nut, and a'spri'ngoperating to hold said nut yieldingly in engagement with said screwshaft. 7

2; A slicing machine comprising a table, anarticlecarrier siida-ble-onsaid table, a feed screw shaft mounted on said table and capable ofturning but held against lengthwise motion,'a screw feed nutmounted onsaid slide and movable into and out of engage ment with said'screwshaft, said slide being provided on that side next to the screw shaftwith a transverse slot which receives said capable of turning but heldagainst lengthwise motion, a screw 'feed' nut mounted on said shdeandmovable into and out of engagement with said screw shaft, said "slidebeing provided on that side next to the screw shaft with a transverseslot, which receives said screw nut, and means for operating said nutcomprising a transversely movable shifting bar arranged underneath theslide and connected at one end with the lower side of said screw nut, aspring interposed between said screw nut and the bottom of said slot,and a cover plate secured to the top of said screw nut and extendingover said slot in the slide.

i. A slicing machine comprising a table, an article carrier slidable onsaid table, a feed screw shaft mounted on said table and capable ofturningbut held against lengthwise motion, a screw feed nut mounted onsaid slide and movable into and out of engagement with said screw shaft,and means for operating said screw nut comprising a shifting bar guidedtransversely on said slide and carrying said nut, a spring operating tohold said nut yieldingly in engagement with said screw shaft, and a'handlever pivotally connected with said shifting bar and fulcrumed on saidslide. 7

5. A slicingmachine comprising a-ta-ble, an article carrier slidable onsaid table, a feed screw shaft mounted on said table and capable ofturning but held against lengthwise motion, a screw feed nut mounted onsaid slide and movable into and out of engagement with said screwshaft,'and means for operating said screw nut comprising a shifting barguided transversely on said slide and carrying said nut, a springoperating to hold said nut yieldingly in engagement with said screwshaft, and a hand lever pivotally connected with said shifting bar andfulcrumed slidingly on said slide.

6. A slicing machine comprising a table, an article carrier slidable onsaid table, a feed screw shaft mounted on said table and capable ofturning but held against lengthwise motion, a screw feed nut mounted onsaid slide and movable into and out of engagement with said screw shaft,and means for operating said screw nut comprising a shifting bar guidedtransversely on said slide said bearing face.

7. A slicing machine comprising a table, an article carrier slidable onsaid table, a feed screw shaft mounted on said table and capable ofturning but held againstlengthwise motion, a screw feed nut mounted onsaid slide and movable into and out of engagement with said screw shaft,and means for operating said screw nut comprising a shifting bar guidedtransversely on said slide and carrying said nuts, a spring operating tohold said nut yieldingly in engagement with said screw shaft, and a handlever pivot-ally connected with said shifting bar and fulcrumed on saidslide and having parts arranged above and below said slide.

8. A slicing machine comprising a table, an article carrier slidable onsaid table, a feed screw shaft mounted on said table and capable ofturning but held against lengthwise motion, a screw feed nut mounted onsaid slide and movable into and out of engagement with said screw shaft,and means for operating said screw nut comprising a shifting bar guidedtransversely on said slide and carrying said nut, a spring opening tohold said nut yieldingly in engagement with said screw shaft, and meansfor operating said screw nut comprising a shifting bar slidabletransversely underneath said slide and connected with said screw nut,and a hand lever pivotally connected with said shifting bar andfulcrumed on said slide and having a retaining lug which engages withthe upper side of saidslide.

ERNEST A. HAND. FREDERICK A. WYGANT.

. Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

